Report says Nokia's next CEO to be Indian-born Rajeev Suri

Nokia may have found its next CEO. According to a leading newspaper, HelsinginSanomat, the board is all set to hand over the mantle of the CEO position to the India-born Rajeev Suri. Suri, as of now, is spearheading Nokia’s telecom network equipment division.

Microsoft bought Nokia's Devices & Services business for a whopping 7.5 billion dollars. The deal is to be completed by the end of this month. When that happens, Stephen Elop, Nokia’s former CEO will be returning to Microsoft.

People familiar with Nokia’s board discussions have stressed over Suri and have found him to be the strongest contender. Suri is often credited for “consistently improving results leading to the successful turnaround and restructuring of the company.” He is the man behind turning Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN) from an unprofitable venture into one of the Finnish giant’s most lucrative divisions.

"We will talk more about the Nokia strategy, structure and organization around the closing of the pending transaction," said spokeswoman Maija Taimi.

Here is a fun fact: Suri, much like the new Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, had studied at the Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), once an affiliate of Mangalore University.